Your daily outdoor news bulletin for September 16, the day the first peacetime in the history of the U.S. was imposed in 1940, meaning you could be conscripted into the military if you were between the ages of 21 and 36, could read, and were not black:

Teen Dies in Fall Near Humpback Rocks

A 13-year-old girl died Sunday evening after falling from a cliff near the Humpback Rocks area off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The girl, whose name has not been released, is said to be from the Richmond area. She was with family and had walked to the Greenstone Overlook near mile marker 9, where she scrambled near the cliff edge with another juvenile. Blue Ridge Parkway Ridge District ranger Kurt Speers said the girl fell 45-50 feet onto the parkway. She was airlifted to the University of Virginia Medical Center via helicopter, but later succumbed to her injuries. The fatal fall occurred around 6 pm Sunday.

Hikers Rescued in Green River Game Lands

On the brighter side, two hikers were rescued from the Green River Game Lands in Henderson County, North Carolina. Jonathan Heatherly, 32, and Janice Collins, 56, both from Dana, were hiking on a trail off Deep Gap Road Saturday afternoon when they got off trail and became lost. Family members went looking for the pair Saturday night, before rescuers from the Dana Fire and Rescue Department, along with Henderson Sheriff’s Office and Hendersonville Police Department personnel began the big search Sunday morning. The two were found around 6pm on Sunday uninjured, more than 24 hours after they set out on the hike. Authorities say the two were in good health, but were tired and hungry, which is to be expected as neither had provisions – only a bottle of water – or a cell phone.

Big Victory for Chesapeake Bay

A big victory for the Chesapeake Bay is a big victory for all of us. Last week Pennsylvania Federal Judge Sylvia Rambo (sick judge name, btw) upheld Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts sticking it to BIG AG. Basically, the ruling gives the Environmental Protection Agency, working with states, the authority to set science-based pollution limits. The case pitted the American Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, National Association of Home Builders, the National Chicken Council, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Turkey Federation, The Fertilizer Institute, and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association VERSUS the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Citizen’s for Pennsylvania’s Future, Defenders of Wildlife, Jefferson County (WV) Public Service District, Midshore River Keeper Conservancy, and the National Wildlife Federation. Whew! These quotes from the press release just about sums up the legalize of the decision (you can see a full summary here):

“In the case, known as American Farm Bureau et al v. EPA, the plaintiffs made three complaints: (1) that the pollution limits or TMDL exceeded EPA’s authority, (2) that they were based on faulty science, and (3) that the plaintiff did not have adequate time to participate in the comment process. Judge Rambo found against them on all points.”

and

“‘The court’s decision is great news for fish and wildlife that depend on a healthy Bay for their survival. If implemented properly, the rule has the potential to significantly improve the ecological health of the Bay for the benefit of wildlife and people alike,” said Michael Senatore, Vice President for Conservation Law at Defenders of Wildlife.'”